Former Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto is edging closer to signing for Alpine, as per the latest reports. The Italian could sign for the French outfit despite reportedly still serving his gardening leave for the rest of this season, having left Ferrari just a year ago. In the case that Binotto does end up signing for Alpine, this news will not be great for the Prancing Horse, who will be at risk of losing some of their team members.
The 53-year-old left Ferrari at the end of last season after he failed to meet the expectations of the team. This was the case despite the Italian outfit finishing second in the Constructors’ Championship. The Ferrari management were presumably unhappy with the team having had a downward trajectory over the course of the season.
This is because at the start of the 2022 season, the team were fighting for wins, and then towards the end of the campaign, they found themselves behind the likes of even Mercedes. Hence, while Ferrari may have made the right decision to move on from Binotto, his return to the grid could still come back to haunt them.
Why is Mattia Binotto’s potential return a worry for Ferrari?
A recent report from Motorsport Italia (as quoted by soymotor.com) highlights the problems that Ferrari could face as a result of Mattia Binotto returning to the grid. The report states that there is a worry that Maranello may be emptied as the Italian will attempt to sign engineers from his former outfit to aid Alpine in their revival.
With Alpine currently undergoing a restructuring process following the shocking departures of Laurent Rossi, Otmar Szafnauer, Alan Permane, and Pat Fry, they will undoubtedly need more personnel to join them.
The report states that there are rumors that Binotto may attempt to sign the likes of Enrico Gualtieri, who is Ferrari’s head of engines, and Wolf Zimmerman, who is currently serving as the head of the 2026 power unit for the Italian team. Hence, considering the various possibilities that could take place if Binotto joins Alpine, it will be interesting to see how the second half of the 2023 season pans out.
Binotto previously rejected Audi
Prior to the links that Mattia Binotto currently has with Alpine, there were also reports that Audi had contacted the Italian. Audi, who is set to join F1 from the 2026 season onwards, were keen to sign the former Ferrari team principal to help them with their project.
However, according to Business F1, Binotto was far from impressed after looking at their base in Neuburg. The report states that the 53-year-old went to the extent of calling the managers at Audi as “clowns“. Therefore, considering that Audi did not impress Binotto, it is fair to say that Alpine have showcased enough promise to convince the Italian to join them.
